Butte County - Government & Citizenship

Butte County, located in northwestern South Dakota, covers 2,249.90 square miles of land and borders Wyoming to the west. The county was established in the Dakota Territory on March 2, 1883, and today it is home to two municipalities – Belle Fourche and Newell. Butte County is governed by the Butte County Commission, which includes five elected commissioners who represent different districts within the county. The commission meets at 9am on the first Tuesday of each month and at 1pm the third Tuesday of each month, at the Butte County Courthouse, located in Belle Fourche, the county seat.

Budgets

For the fiscal year 2015, Butte County had a total budget of $4,082,590.23, with a general fund totaling $2.1 million. Find a complete breakdown of the 2015 and previous budgets in the county’s annual reports.

Butte County’s law enforcement is provided by the Butte County Sheriff’s Department. The department has seven employees and provides lists of current county warrants and real estate sales online. The Butte County Office of Emergency Management provides residents with emergency management resources and services. Working cooperatively with municipal, county, state, and federal governments in the area, the county office offers an integrated approach to dealing with situations such as emergencies and natural disasters. Butte County Dispatch is available at 892-2737 and is overseen by the Butte County Sheriff’s Department. Dispatch works with local and neighboring law enforcement, fire departments, ambulance services, and other emergency management offices.

The Newell City Commission meets at 6pm. the second Monday of the month at the Newell Finance Office. The commission operates under the leadership of Mayor Mike Keolker.

Public Notices

Public notices from Butte County can be accessed through the South Dakota Newspaper Association's public notices website. Select Butte County from the dropdown menu to find notices on advertisements for bids, adoption of ordinances, financial reports, hearings, and other government activities in the county.